If things go on like this, Father and Miss Wu's marriage will definitely be delayed until two years later, by that time it will be too late.

  Dong Zhao felt he should do something to speed up the marriage between the two families.

  Before she could make up her mind, Chinese New Year arrived.

  As usual, on the morning of New Year's Eve, Dong and Xi went to their ancestral hall in Beilou Township to worship their ancestors. In the afternoon, they had a reunion dinner in the backyard of the ancestral hall, and then returned home for family reunions and staying up late into the night.

  Yi Niang doesn't have the qualifications to pay respects to ancestors, but she still has to go eat reunion dinner. Dou Ming was premature and her body had always been weak, rarely going out. Her grandfather was afraid she would get sick, so he let Wang Yingxue and Ding Yiniang stay home to take care of her.

  Du Zhao was pulled out of his warm bed by Yu Niang early in the morning. As she helped Du Zhao get dressed, she instructed Yu Zhui and Tuo Niang: "There are a lot of people today, you must not lose Fourth Miss while watching the excitement."

  Yu's mother is preparing for tonight's family reunion dinner at home and cannot accompany Du Zhao to the North Building.

  Two people responded in succession.

  Dong Zhao couldn't help but take a few more glances at Tuo Niang.

  Today, Yu Chuan and Tuo Niang both wore new clothes, changing into straight-lined blue-green silk padded jackets. Not to mention the jujube-red pom-poms on their temples, they looked especially spirited.

  Yu Mei had been following her mother since she was a child, and her mother was someone who loved to dress up. Under her influence, Yu Mei always presented herself in a neat and tidy manner, with appropriate makeup. It was nothing out of the ordinary for her to put on new clothes and get dressed up during Chinese New Year. On the other hand, Tuo Niang had lost both parents at a young age and was raised by her uncle's family, often going hungry one day and full the next. She only sought warmth and fullness in her food and clothing, so it was unprecedented for her to dress up as meticulously as she did today.

  The girl awkwardly pulled at her sleeve and muttered: "It was Yu Zhu who helped me with my hair, she said that today is the 30th of the lunar year, everyone else is wearing red and green, but I'm the only one in plain clothes... Seventh Master has already engaged to Miss Wu from the other family, if others see this they'll think it's intentional and will cause trouble for Fourth Miss..."

  That makes sense too.

  She wore mourning clothes as a token of her observance. However, the maids around her also followed suit and wore mourning clothes, which would inevitably lead to some people having other thoughts.

  Dong Zhao smiled and nodded, saying they were "very pretty", then picked two simple pearl flowers from the makeup box, one for Yu Zhui and one for Tuo Niang.

  Both were somewhat surprised and hesitant about whether to accept.

  Yu's aunt smiled and said, "Since it was the Fourth Miss who gave it to you, just accept it. Wear it on your head, and if others ask, it's also the Fourth Miss's kindness."

  The two of them no longer declined, smiling as they pinned the pearl flowers on each other. They served Dou Zhao after he finished his breakfast and carried him, who was like a bundle of powder, to the Crane Longevity Hall.

  Grandfather and father were sitting on the kang talking.

  Dou Zhaoshang stepped forward and saluted.

  Dòu Shìyīng sat down with Dòu Zhāo in her lap and asked softly, "Are you cold?"

  "No way!" Du Zhao shook his head and asked Du Dong, "Grandfather, grandfather, they say that my father is going to marry the fifth young lady of the Zhu family, is it true?"

  Dou Shiying's face turned slightly red as she awkwardly stopped Dou Zhao: "Don't talk nonsense!"

  "I'm not talking nonsense." Du Zhao's eyes widened, staring at her father discontentedly, "They say that Miss Zhu is a good person and isn't afraid of Wang Sheng giving birth to a son out of wedlock."

  "Ah!" Du Shiying's mouth opened wide.

  Dong Dong's eyes flashed with a hint of sharpness, and then he took out a piece of sesame cake from the wooden chest in front of the kang and handed it to Dong Zhao, asking her warmly, "Who told you all this?"

  Dou Zhao tilted his head and nibbled on a sesame cake, saying: "There are many people, the eldest aunt's maid, the third aunt's nanny, and... Ninth Uncle's servant..."

  Grandfather didn't continue asking and instead gave a meaningful glance at Father.

  Father looked embarrassed.

  Just then a servant came in and reported: "Lord Rong has arrived."

  "Quickly, let him in!" Grandfather said with a smile.

  Tall and thin, Duan Huan Chang walked in with quick steps.

  He respectfully greeted his grandfather and father first, then smiled and said hello to Dòu Zhāo.

  "Grandfather nodded and stood up: 'Let's go!'"

  Dò Huánchāng nodded "yes", supported his grandfather with one hand and slowly walked out of the Crane Longevity Hall.

  He came to invite his grandfather and father back to Beilou together.

  Father hugged Du Zhao and slowly followed behind, waiting for them to pull away from each other. Father gently pinched Du Zhao's small face: "You little thing, are you here to collect debts?" His movements were affectionate, his tone helpless.

  Dong Zhaohui smiled and asked her father: "What is debt collection?"

  His father couldn't help but burst out laughing.

  A group of people came out of the gate.

  Third uncle and third aunt went to the North Building yesterday to prepare for the ancestral worship, accompanied by eldest aunt, Duan Huan Chang, second madam, sixth uncle's family, second elder brother's family, third elder brother's family, and fifth elder brother's family.

  Seeing his grandfather, everyone except the second lady got off the carriage to pay their respects. The narrow alley, which had become crowded due to the stopped carriages, became even more congested.

  Grandfather pulled at the five-year-old son of his elder brother, who was only three years old, and wouldn't let him kowtow to him: "It's cold and icy outside, and there's no one else around, so don't be too polite. Whatever you have to say, we can talk about it when we get to the ancestral hall."

  There are over a dozen side rooms on the other side of the ancestral hall, with large braziers placed at each corner, burning smokeless silver frost charcoal, warm as spring.

  "Still so tender-hearted, little uncle!" Second Brother chuckled.

  The second lady stuck her head out of the carriage: "Shou Gu, come to your paternal grandmother's place!"

  Dou Zhao didn't like this cold-hearted great aunt, and her hand grasped her father's sleeve tightly.

  Father hesitated for a moment, hugged Du Zhao and smiled as he walked over: "She's very mischievous, you're old, how can you bear her nonsense. I think it's better to let her follow me?"

  The second lady was slightly stunned, looked at Dou Zhao who was quietly leaning on Dou Shiying's bosom, smiled and nodded: "Good! She has no mother, you can be closer to her, that would be the best!" As she spoke, she let down the carriage curtain.

  Father was somewhat unexpected.

  "Third Brother Sang shouted loudly at his father: 'Seventh Uncle, there's still a seat available on your side, can you help me send two maids over?'"

  The third brother had the most descendants, with three sons and one daughter. However, the family property was distributed according to the number of rooms in each household, which always made him the most anxious one.

  "Yes, yes, yes." Father hugged Dou Zhao and walked over, "If it's crowded, let Zhi Ge follow us over too!"

  Zhi Geer is the eldest son of his third uncle, eleven years old this year, and his real name is Dou Qijun. This guy later became a censor and made a name for himself in the scholarly community by impeaching Zhang Xinghou Shi Duanlan. After his fifth uncle Dou Shixu entered the cabinet, he went to Baoding Prefecture to serve as a prefect to avoid suspicion.

  At this time he was just a young man with long legs and feet, and a voice like a male duck.

  Knowing he didn't have to squeeze into a carriage with his mother and sister, he immediately jumped down from the family's carriage and ran over with a smile.

  "Seventh Uncle Grandfather!" Duan Qijun bowed to his father and then reached out to touch Duan Zhao's head, "Fourth Auntie!"

  Dong Zhao has the soul of an adult in her body. When her grandfather and father patted her head, she could barely tolerate it. When her 11-year-old nephew Dong Qijun patted her head...she tilted her head to avoid his hand.

  "Huh?" Du Qijun was momentarily perplexed.

  Dòu Shìyīng had already taken Dòu Zhāo to his own carriage and, as they walked, asked Dòu Qǐjùn: "I heard that the other day at the clan school you were reciting classics and quoting canons, making even Du Lǎofūzǐ concede defeat?"

  Dòu Qǐjùn dryly smiled and threw Dòu Zhāo's abnormality to the back of his mind, closely following Dòu Shìyīng onto the carriage, sitting next to him and laughing: "Isn't Seventh Uncle's grandfather at home studying behind closed doors? How come he even knows about some playful jokes made by the younger generation in school?"

  The implication is that Du Shiying is not focused enough.

  As expected, his tongue is very sharp.

  Dòu Zhāo looked at Dòu Qǐjùn with interest.

  "Each time only knowing the pleasure of boasting, beware of trouble coming from the mouth." Father smiled and said, "No wonder your father has to go to apologize to Du Fu every few days!"

  Du Fu Zi is the Western Seat of the Dou Family Studies.

  Dòu Qǐjùn chuckled and nudged his father with his shoulder, saying: "Seventh Uncle Grandfather, can I discuss something with you?" He looked a bit awkward.

  His father raised an eyebrow.

  Dòu Qǐjùn smiled and said: "I have an appointment with a fellow student, during the Lantern Festival we will go to Zhēndìng Prefecture to watch the flower lanterns. Can you support me with some travel expenses?"

  "Does your father know?" his father asked with a smile.

  "I know, I know." Duan Qijun's face lit up with excitement as he said, "He agreed too. But he only gave me three or four silver coins, not even enough to buy a decent lantern! Seventh Uncle, we all know you're the most generous and open-handed one, lend me twenty silver coins and next time you go to Fufang An to buy antiques, I'll help you carry things!"

  "I have a servant, what do you need to help with? Besides, it's not necessarily true that your servant is better than mine!"

  "That, that, I'll copy the scriptures for you." Du Qijun didn't blush at all, his eyes rolled over, and he immediately said, "I know you want to copy a thousand volumes of 'Lotus Sutra' for your deceased seventh uncle's grandmother, and burn them for her when she reaches the end of her mourning period..."

  Dòu Zhāo stared at his father in shock.

  His father didn't notice her, and smiled: "The value of copying scriptures lies in the sincerity of one's heart. If you help me copy them, what's the point? Alright, alright, twenty taels of silver is not possible, but ten taels can be considered..."

  "Seventh Uncle's grandfather, ten taels of silver is a bit too little!" Duan Qijun gritted his teeth, "If word gets out, wouldn't it tarnish Seventh Uncle's reputation!"

  "I didn't know I had the reputation of being a 'prodigal son'?" His father was unmoved, "You're still young, eating at home, using things from home, what do you need so much silver for? It's just ten taels, do you want it or not?"

  "Want, want, want!" Du Qijun was afraid that if he continued speaking, even these ten taels of silver would be gone.

  "However, I will tell Third Brother and Sixth Brother about it, so you won't take the ten taels of silver from me and then go flirt with others!"

  "Seventh Uncle Grandfather!" Du Qijun wailed and fell onto the large pillow.

  Dong Shiying burst out laughing, feeling that the dullness that had been weighing on her heart for days suddenly dissipated a lot.

  Dou Zhao looked at his father's laughing face, feeling a mix of emotions in his heart.

  In her previous life, she had grievances against her father.

  So she had never looked at her father straight in the eye since then.

  She always thought that he only cared about his research on the Book of Changes, and nothing else... Let Duan Ming be arrogant and domineering, let Duan Xiao stir up trouble, and let her fend for herself!

  I didn't expect him to have this side!

  The sound of horse carriage wheels mixed with Duan Qijun's jokes, they soon arrived at the North Building.

  In front of the Dou family ancestral hall, seven or eight horse-drawn carriages had already stopped in a scattered manner. The servants and grooms were busy rushing back and forth. Upon hearing the commotion, someone rushed to inform Third Uncle. Others gathered around, either helping to steady the carriages or arrange the footstools. For a moment, the entrance of the Dou family ancestral hall was filled with the sound of people's voices, extremely lively and bustling.

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  O(∩_∩)O~

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